Fleeting : An American Tale
by mikkimikka
Summary: Kunimitsu Tezuka cannot forget his first love. In an effort to fill that hole he comes face to face with the one he wishes to possess, only to find him in the arms of another. PillarPairTezuRyo , KevinRyoma, or TezukaRyomaKevin?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer : I do not own the Prince of Tennis

AN: oh no. what have I done? anyway, this is a pilot chapter to an idea I had that I couldn't resist. It's really bad.

Fleeting: An American Tale

Pilot Chapter

Everything that happened then led him to where he was now, standing in front of a run down house in a low income Los Angeles neighborhood and staring across the lawn into golden cat like eyes. It was like everything came rushing towards him and that hollow portion within him began to pulse and come to life for the first time since he moved to America. Since that one left him so many years ago.

It seemed like destiny was laughing at him.

Everything seemed to be working up to that one moment. From the first day he held a tennis racket, to when he met Yamato-buchou, and then the day when he met Seigaku's--no his… Tezuka's own pillar of support. He didn't realize how much he was relying on him. He wanted so much to teach him and to shelter him.

He was so naïve. They both were.

The team won and they were so happy and felt as if nothing could go wrong. But it wasn't long after that when they had to realize the bad news. With the end of the tennis season came the end of Echizen's stay. He was leaving Seigaku and Tezuka behind and going back to America.

It was the first time Tezuka remembered acting without any reservations. It was his first kiss and the moment was so bitter. Tezuka was holding onto the shorter boy, clutching him so tight it must have hurt. Their mouths were pressed together a moment before opening and exploring desperately. It was their last chance and they had to make the best of it.

In this way their time together ended.

Still, Tezuka was always serious and stern, and so it came as no surprise that he retained that trait. Throughout his high school years, he studied, improved his tennis, and wandered around trying to decide which way to go in his life. He decided on becoming an engineer.

Time went by and his friends began finding girlfriends, Tezuka didn't bother to question himself regarding that matter. He just assumed that when a girl that was interesting came along, then he'd surely be interested.

Tezuka reasoned that he was only just too busy to take any interest in any girls, that he was content on focusing on his academic career. Still, that didn't explain the nagging emptiness that threatened to overcome him with despair.

It wasn't like he could still miss someone after all those years. It was just, he felt like he had something to say.

He didn't realize what the pull was or why he wanted to study abroad so much, why he insisted in California, in LA.

"You really don't know how to move on," Fuji had said when he found out about Tezuka's plan to attend University in the US. "You really are hopeless."

"This isn't about that," Tezuka replied, convincing no one but himself.

Tezuka's mind was still elsewhere. He was be succeeding in building his future, but he was held back by memories of how it was five years ago. It was the best year of his life.

And so there he was, in America attending UCLA fully believing this was what he wanted and there as no external force guiding him. He was in the engineering program as a 2nd year now and he was beginning to really like Los Angeles. He adapted to America as well as he could manage and made friends and as usual stayed on the Dean's list every semester. Instead of going home in the summer, as an international student Tezuka stayed behind and took more classes, making him already in junior status.

Now it was his second summer in America and Tezuka was taking a few summer courses, including an internship with the city in public works.

And that's why he was there today, in a lower income area, as a part of a team surveying the area. And that's how he came face to face with those two golden orbs he had been missing since junior high without even knowing.

Standing on the porch of the old brick apartment was Ryoma Echizen, a little disheveled, dressed in oversized basketball shorts, a black tank top that clung to him in the sweltering heat. His hair was longer than Tezuka last remembered, and of course Ryoma had grown in height since they last saw one another. However, there was no denying the man Tezuka saw before him. No, not with those piercing eyes and that dim and yet cocky gaze.

That's when Tezuka realized why he came to America

-to be continued-

AN: as before stated, this is a pilot chapter. Actual working on this story may not begin until I finish working the tweaks out, but I just wanted to get people's idea. But looking back at it, this pilot chapter sheds NO light on what I really planned for this story. Oh well... thanks for reading and please review as it will REALLY have an impact on my decision to rewrite, tweak, continue etc...


	2. Chapter 2

AN: FINALLY! we're ready for take off. Kevin. Ryoma. Tezuka. Let's see how this happens. Sorry for any OOC

Chapter 2

It had been fate, and yet Tezuka didn't know what to say.

"E,echizen," the voice choked out of his now dry throat, his eyes never leaving the boy hat stood in the doorway.

"Pardon?" the man beside Tezuka, Robert Ford, head shot up from the clipboard he was carrying in order to take notes.

"N,nothing," Tezuka said, taking his eyes off Ryoma for a minute, and turning towards the project at hand.

A small portion of the street that collapsed in itself just a little bit, and the hole was growing larger and larger by the week, so they were finally going to fix it. Tezuka had been sent along with some of the department to survey the area. The entire road was a wreck, but that hole had become a huge hazard.

Mr. Ford scribbled some more notes and then started to circle the hole, and Tezuka turned his head back towards the door he had saw Ryoma standing at. The boy was no longer there.

"What are you doing, Kunimitsu? You're spacing out."

Tezuka snapped his attention back to the other man.

"Sorry, sir."

"Don't be sorry. Come help my measure this. Hold this side of the tape and walk on the other side."

Tezuka did as told, grabbing the small side of the measuring tap and pulling it to the other side of the hole. He stared at the black center of the gaping void. For some reason he made him feel weird, so he turned his eyes away.

"Ok, you can let go now."

Tezuka did, and the tape snapped back into the holder.

"Is that all?" Tezuka asked.

Ford nodded, and motioned towards the truck.

"Yea, just have to make the write up. It shouldn't take too long to patch. Just a days work is all."

Tezuka followed him to the truck, but his body felt heavy. That was Echizen, he knew it, but what was he supposed to do about it? He couldn't just walk up to the house and knock. That'd be weird. And did Echizen not recognize him? Is that why Echizen didn't say hi to him, and merely retreated into the door.

"Seat belt."

Tezuka nodded slowly, as he pulled the strap over his shoulders.

-------------------------

Kevin was furious. Ryoma had been skipping school, again.

Kevin pulled up to the home just as a city truck pulled off.

"About time they fix that damn pot hole," he grumbled as he marched up the walkway.

Fumbling with his keys he inserted it into the hole and threw the door open.

"Ryoma!"

Kevin hung his keys on the hook by the door out of habit, and marched deeper into the home, entering the kitchen.

"I knew you'd be here," he growled.

"If you needed me, you could have just called," Ryoma shrugged, turning back to the sandwich he was making.

He put the tomato on the pile of meat and lettuce and covered it with a slice of bread, before turning around and pushing the food towards Kevin.

"Wanna bite?"

Kevin glared at the sandwich, and Ryoma shrugged and bit it.

"What are you doing here?"

"Katrina had a job interview so I volunteered to watch the kids."

"No, really--" Kevin crossed his arms.

There was no way Ryoma opted to skip school in order to watch his cousins' kids while she had a job interview…. Or wait, maybe he had. It didn't take much to get the lad to ditch his obligations.

"Well, I came home from training this morning and the school left a message on the machine saying you missed homeroom."

"Ok, and you came here looking for me?"

"Isn't this where you always end up?"

"It's the last place the truant officer would look."

Ryoma went to take another bite of the sandwich, but Kevin snatched it from his hand.

"Go to school."

Kevin bit the sandwich and Ryoma pouted.

"Why? There's only like two hours left. Besides, I'm having a passing grade," Ryoma reasoned as he snatched the sandwich back.

"They might drop your grade with too many absences," Kevin explained.

Ryoma sighed and took one last bite of the sandwich before giving the rest to Kevin. They both knew that Kevin was right, but both boys knew that didn't change the fact that Ryoma didn't plan to go to school. He'd been like that for the past semester.

Kevin and Ryoma were playing a lot more tournaments before Ryoma injured himself. He tore his knee cartilage and had to get surgery, but the doctor said with proper rehab he'd be able to go back to tennis soon. But "soon" wasn't good enough. Ryoma was healing pretty well and didn't have to walk around with a brace any more. He even joined Kevin for training some days, but Ryoma was restless and everyone knew it. Ryoma was always making his parents worry for no reason. He had a perfectly loving and happy family that he constantly failed to appreciate, to the point that they even agreed that maybe living with Kevin would make the situation better. They were boyfriends after all, and most of the time when Ryoma skipped out on his obligations, it was to go be with Kevin. Oh how wrong they proved to be.

Before the accident, Kevin and Ryoma had a special deal with the school, due to their training and future prospect as tennis superstars, to only have to show up on test dates. However, Ryoma was now marked as a normal student whereas Kevin still enjoyed a lax schedule.

Kevin didn't want to scold Ryoma too much in one setting. He knew that it was going in one ear and out the other anyway.

"So where are the kids then?" he asked.

"Taking a nap."

Kevin stuffed the rest of the sandwich in his face, and Ryoma exited the kitchen and collapsed onto the living room couch. Kevin followed and moved Ryoma's legs out the way so as to make room to sit down.

"I'm glad they're finally patching that hole out there," Kevin mused, turning on the tv.

"Yea," Ryoma put his legs back on Kevin's lap.

"You feeling ok?" Kevin asked, rubbing the Japanese lad's legs gently, paying special attention to where the injury was healing.

Ryoma nodded and let his head fall back against the couch cushions. As soon as the boy closed his eyes he conjured up the image of Tezuka Buchou as he remembered him and the scene he witnessed earlier that day. Tezuka then was tall, rigid, and promising. The man he saw earlier was most definitely Tezuka. He could tell just by the posture, as he stood in the street near the city truck. There was no mistaking that dignified stance. When their eyes met, and the sun reflected off the edge of the wires, Ryoma felt sick.

He wanted to throw up.

So he went back in the house.

He didn't understand why he reacted that way. It was just Buchou. But that was exactly it. It was Buchou. His buchou that taught him so many things regarding tennis, and then even more. Tezuka was his first kiss and his first wild fluttering feeling in the chest.

Ryoma didn't want to think about it and yet he couldn't help it.

"I saw Buchou today."

"What? Who?" Kevin asked, pausing in his ministrations and ripping his eyes away from the tv.

"I saw Buchou. Tezuka-buchou," Ryoma clarified.

There was a silence and then Ryoma forced his eyes to meet Kevin's. It was a clash of blue and gold before Kevin turned away.

Ryoma resumed speaking, "He was fixing the street."

"Did you talk to him?"

"No."

Kevin returned to massaging Ryoma's leg and watching the television, swallowing the word that threatened to come out of his mouth… "Good".

-to be continued-

AN: sorry. i jsut thought i had to explain what Kevin and Ryoma been up to since the whole first chapter gave you Tezuka's. Anyway uhm... thanks for reading. sorry for any OOC and please review. i accept flames, praise, and criticism.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: i made myself promise i wouldn't read any fanfiction until i updated two of my stories... lol one update done.

Chapter 3

The hole in the street was gone, replaced by a smooth black surface. Ryoma frowned. It only took them one day to fix the street. It was the day he actually went to school and by the time he returned, nothing was left of the hole but a crushed and forgotten orange cone.

Ryoma found himself staring at it, as if willing its owners to return. They left it behind, they'd have to come back and fetch it. Then again, the city probably had thousands of cones; thousands of orange triangles, stacked and lined up, thrown and skewed in a large unmarked warehouse somewhere. This cone was dispensable. He wasn't unique, and besides he was broken and crushed, rolled underfoot by a steamroller and forgotten.

Ryoma flinched.

He wanted to play tennis, and be useful again.

------------------------

Kevin looked up from where he was seated on the couch as the door slammed shut in the Atrium. His eyes went to the clock.

"Ryoma is that you?"

He stood up quickly and walked into the atrium to see the Japanese boy shrugging off his backpack and toss it to the floor. Kevin looked out of the window beside the door.

"I thought Billy was going to take you home today. You're like an hour late."

"I went somewhere else first," Ryoma replied, kicking off his shoes and walking up the stairs.

Kevin only stared up at his retreating form.

Ryoma roughly entered the bedroom and collapsed onto his and Kevin's bed. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't feel comfortable admitting that he went to Kevin's cousin's house in hopes to perhaps see Buchou again. He was happy with the fact that it wasn't in Kevin's personality to probe too much about his whereabouts. He understood they both had separate lives. Ryoma grit is teeth and buried his head in his pillow, sick with disappointment, and he didn't want to admit to himself why.

------------------------

Tezuka hit the ball towards his opponent, feeling a weeks worth of tension ease from under his shoulders. Nothing ever calmed his nerves as much as tennis did, except for maybe a bath. Tezuka's mind was occupied by many thoughts: his paper that was due for Civil Engineering, all the paperwork that he left back at the office, his room mate's loud late night activities, or performing his best during tennis meets. However, even so many distractions as those didn't manage to stop his mind from sometimes drifting to the sight he beheld earlier in the week. Echizen Ryoma. The more he thought on it the more unsettled Tezuka became.

Ryoma was here. In the same city as he was. Running around. Living his own separate life.

With a final stroke of his racket, Tezuka hit a game ending shot. His mind might have been elsewhere, but his body was still on the court.

"Nice one, Kunimitsu!" his opponent and classmate, Gerard Suarez grinned at him.

Tezuka only nodded curtly and turned to get some of his water.

"It's funny," Gerard went on, as he followed Tezuka to the bench.

"What's funny?"

"That you're so good. Like scary good. You might as well be a professional."

Tezuka knew where this conversation was headed. It was the same thing he heard every time he and the other lad played. Gerard would brag about how he was his High School's tennis captain and he went undefeated until his Senior year. Then he would go on to say how his team became run over by two freshman and that was the end of his tennis days.

Boring.

"Yeah," Gerard sighed, finishing up his story and wiping his brow with his towel. "I wonder if you could beat them. Gives me the idea to bring you there. I bet they must be seniors now."

"You went to school in the city right?" Tezuka asked.

"Yeah, I told you that before."

"That's right," Tezuka said. He sat down on the bench and began putting his racket away in the bag. He never really though much about Gerard's reflections, but the story of a skilled rookie freshman reminded him all to much of Echizen and how the two of them had met. It would seem too much of a coincidence if Ryoma was who Gerard was talking about. Besides, he mentioned there were two freshman on his team that proved formidable.

Tezuka decided he was reading too into it, seeing as he was still all muddy in the head from seeing Ryoma. When they fixed the road there was no sign of the boy and since LA was big, Tezuka resigned himself to the fate of never seeing the boy again.

"Well, that was fun," Gerard's exclamation cut through Tezuka's musings. "You hungry? You gonna eat at the dining hall?"

"No," Tezuka said. "I think I'll eat something I have in my dorm."

"Peanut butter and jelly after a tennis match? That's no good!"

Gerard slapped Tezuka on the back playfully.

"No, I have some leftovers from--"

"Hey! You two!"

Tezuka and Gerard turned towards the speaker. It was one of the court employees.

"Sorry. Are you about done with the court?" he asked. "A class is going to be using this court."

Tezuka and Gerard stood and apologized, gathering their things.

-to be continued-

AN: this chapter just a buffer until the ryoma and tezuka meet. it can't just happen just like that with a snap of the finger... or can it? thanks for reading please review!


	4. Chapter 4

AN: hi there.

Chapter 4

Whoever said that Hell was other people obviously never been in high school. Ryoma resisted the urge to jump back into Kevin's car and instead started his walk towards the double doors that spelled his doom. He hated Kevin for dropping him off. He'd rather take the bus. Kevin dropping him off at school was like the other boy was rubbing in the fact that he could do whatever the hell he wanted with no consequences.

Ryoma sighed as he reached his locker, putting in the combination. Just as he opened it he was approached by one of the boys he knew from the tennis team, Cory Andersen.

"Hey, Ryoma!" he greeted. "I heard you're coming to practice today."

"Who told you that?" Ryoma asked, brow furrowing in confusion.

"Kevin. He told me to make sure you didn't skip out on us today!"

"And he thought I would listen to you?" Ryoma asked, pulling out his books for his first class.

Cory only grinned wider, "No. But it doesn't matter because you have your tennis bag anyway so you're bound to come!"

"…"

"Don't look at me like that. Besides, I heard from Coach that Gerard is coming down to help us today. I'm sure he'd love a rematch!" Cory nudged Ryoma hard in the ribs, causing the Japanese boy to wince. "Ok, see you in 3rd period!"

With that, the boy was gone. Ryoma slammed his locker shut and headed towards his homeroom. He didn't show it but he was actually pleasantly surprised to know that his first day back at practice Gerard, their old captain, would be there. When Ryoma was a first year, he and Kevin loved to challenge Gerard any chance they could get. After he graduated, Gerard often came by to help the old team, since he enjoyed helping people with tennis, but Ryoma and Kevin weren't around for many practices due to their personal training. Ryoma wondered if Gerard's game was any better, or if Ryoma's injury left him any worse.

The day seemed to go by slow since Ryoma was busy anticipating practice, and by the time lunch came Ryoma was nearly restless. Ryoma hadn't had a chance to play a really good game of tennis since his injury, and he could tell that Kevin would go easy on him when they rallied so as not to have him run too much around the court. The doctor had said it was ok for him to start attending tennis practice at school and Ryoma knew that he wouldn't get as much of a challenge there as he hoped. However with Gerard coming his luck really looking up.

Ryoma got in line in the cafeteria and was once again joined by Cory, who by that time was bouncing around in a manner that made Ryoma briefly remember his Kikumaru sempai.

"Hey! So you're still here huh? Cool!" he grinned.

Ryoma ignored the younger boy and instead reached for the jello-fruit cup and set it on his tray. Cory did the same.

"Oh, you got the tuna salad, huh? Me too!" Cory said looking down at Ryoma's tray.

Ryoma paid for his lunch and took his tray walking away. Cory was one step behind him. Ryoma chose an empty table and sat down and Cory sat down too. Cory began digging into his jello-fruit cup and Ryoma slipped out his cell phone.

"having fun yet?" the text from Kevin said.

Ryoma rolled his eyes although he couldn't help the small smirk tugging at his lips and dialed Kevin's number and placed the phone to his ear.

"Ryoma!" Cory exclaimed. "You can't have a phone in school!"

Cory reached for Ryoma's phone and Ryoma turned out of his reach, causing Cory to drape his arms over his shoulders.

"Ryoma!"

Ryoma ignored the hyper boy when Kevin finally answered.

"Ryoma?"

"Hey."

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Cory's smothering me again."

"No fair!" Cory said. "Why Kevin gets all the attention! You haven't seen me in a while!"

Cory pouted and Kevin laughed over the line.

Ryoma went on, "And no… to answer your question I'm not having fun yet. Though I am looking forward to tennis."

"Typical."

"What about you?"

"I'm actually in the middle of something. I'll hit you up after school though so have your phone on," Kevin said.

"Oh…" Ryoma was a little disappointed but he understood Kevin was busy during the days. "Ok. I'll cya later then."

"K, bye, Anata."

"Bye."

When Ryoma hung up he turned and saw Cory grinning madly.

"What?" Ryoma asked.

"'Oh Kevin I love you. Just hearing your voice in the middle of the day helps me get through it.'" Cory mocked.

"I did not say that," Ryoma frowned.

"Yeah but you were thinking it," Cory stuck his tongue out before turning to his tuna sandwich.

Ryoma also began to eat his sandwich. Cory was right. He did only call Kevin so he could hear his voice. Ryoma didn't consider himself clingy, but Kevin made the school day bearable. Part of the reason why he hated coming to school was the fact that Kevin wasn't there. He was the only person Ryoma could really talk to in all of his classes. They used to do most of their projects together too. But now Ryoma was left alone since he was never good at striking conversation with classmates. The friends he did have just seemed to land in his lap.

Cory of course was one of them.

"Don't worry," Cory said, as if sensing Ryoma's discomfort. "I'm sure things will get more interesting during practice."

Cory smiled warmly and Ryoma couldn't help but be glad that he had at least one person at school he could count on.

-----------------------------------

Ryoma pulled his shirt over his head and then stuffed his bag into his gym locker. He was the first one in the locker room that afternoon.

"Ryoma!"

Ryoma didn't have to turn to see it was Cory.

"How the hell did you get here so fast?" Cory asked, swinging open the door to his locker and pulling some clothes out.

Ryoma merely shrugged and sat on the bench as the other team members began filtering into the room. He was welcomed back happily by many of the members including the captain David Nguyen and the co-captain Russell Elliot.

Ryoma went outside first since he was already ready to start practicing. He did his warm ups alone before he was joined by a few others.

"How's the knee?" David asked, as Ryoma was in mid stretch.

Ryoma shrugged. "The doctor said it was ok for me to practice with the team…"

David nodded and was about to say something before he was interrupted by their Couch coming out of the locker rooms with a familiar face in tow. It was Gerard. So Cory had been right after all. Ryoma barely held back a smile. If he remember correctly, Gerard was the only person on the team to ever come close to being a challenge for him or Kevin.

"Attention everyone!" Coach Bernstein said, clapping and gathering the crowd around him and Gerard. "Today Gerard will be helping with practice--"

Ryoma's attention faltered after that, and he found it hard to keep his focus on what the couch was saying. When Coach finally let them go to group off on the courts, he felt an arm cling to his.

"Ryoma!"

"Hey Cory."

"Wanna be my partner?" Cory beamed.

"I don't mind," Ryoma replied.

Practice continued as normal, pretty much. Coach was back in his office probably doing some paper work while Gerard, David, and Russell led the practice. After running their laps Gerard had them split into groups to run drills. Ryoma was annoyed that his first day back at practice resulted in him running tiresome drills, but some of the tasks Gerard had them perform were pretty difficult. After practice Ryoma was walking out of the locker room when Gerard called his name.

"Ryoma!"

"Oh, Hi," Ryoma said.

He continued walking out the door and pulled a grape soda from his backpack and opened it.

"How are you getting home today?" asked the older of the two.

"Kevin's picking me up. He should be out front already," Ryoma shrugged.

"Oh you two still together? I haven't seen a lot of you two but I guess I'll be seeing you a lot more huh?"

Ryoma nodded, resisting the urge to say "betsu ni" and hoping there was a point to Gerard's hassling him.

"Anyway I had wanted to talk to you so I'm glad I saw you today," Gerard explained. "I met a cool guy at the University that's really good at tennis."

"Ok," Ryoma said, not really understanding why he should care about some random guy Gerard met on campus that was good at tennis… though Ryoma did desire better opponents. He decided to listen to what else Gerard had to say.

"Anyway, Couch told me about your injury so I thought maybe playing some with us could help you a little. Besides I think you two would get along pretty well. Your personalities for some reason struck me as similar. As soon as I met him I thought about you."

Well that was no good. Ryoma didn't like the idea of another him running around, but if he was really good at tennis then--

Ryoma and Gerard were nearing the area where Kevin was waiting in his car.

"Ok, I guess you can tell me when you want to get together then," Ryoma said as he reached the car.

"Yeah… What's your number?"

Ryoma gave it to him and Gerard put it in the phone.

"Oh! I almost forgot. He's Japanese so maybe that'd be cool for him too being as he's so far away from home."

Ryoma held back a flinch. He hadn't actually spoken Japanese in years except for the few times he and Kevin would do it for privacy's sake.

"Great! If anyone could beat this dude it might just be you," Gerard sniggered, punching in more numbers into his phone, likely calling someone.. "I've never won an entire game yet. Don't let me down, Kiddo."

Ryoma managed to resist the urge to roll his eyes and got into the car with Kevin. They drove off and Gerard began walking back to the locker room probably to talk to coach a bit. Ryoma shook his head.

"What'd Gerard want?" Kevin asked.

"I dunno," Ryoma sighed. "Something about some guy at his school being really good at tennis. I think he wants me to show him up or something."

"I bet I could take him," Kevin grinned.

"Gerard says he could never beat him," Ryoma noted.

"So," Kevin retorted. "As I recall Gerard's only beat me once... Maybe twice."

Ryoma shrugged and put on his seat belt. "I don't really care either way. But it'd be good to play some tennis against someone good especially with my knee."

"Just don't over do it, ok," Kevin admonished.

Ryoma didn't even bother to reply, and focused his attention on the scenery passing by his window. Unwillingly his mind drifted back to him and Gerard's conversation and the tennis player he wanted him to meet. If he could beat Gerard there was no doubt he had some talent, so Ryoma was thinking he wouldn't be disappointed in that respect. He was kind of curious to know if this guy was really all Gerard said he was and the more he thought on it, the more he didn't want to wait on Gerard to be able to find out.

-to be continued-

AN: thanks to all reviewers so much. i'll try to reply to all of them again. also thanks for reading this chapter. no tezuka ryoma yet but i mean come on. LA is a big city. but i do expect them to meet very soon... as you could probably tell. i wanted to write some cute kevinryo parts but i don't think it's in their personality to act really cute together. they act like friends who get intimate at times. i think that's how their relationship goes. if u think other wise you should tell me so i can feel better about writing more of them in here.

thanks again and plz review! i appreciate it.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: and without further ado...

Chapter 5

Ryoma couldn't wait. He had to see who this mysterious and great player Gerard wanted him to play and he wanted to see them now, and show them that there's always someone better than you. Even Ryoma knew that lesson.

Tying his shoes and grabbing his bag, Ryoma started down the stairs of his and Kevin's shared home.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kevin asked, curiously from where he sat in the living room with his school books spread out in front of him.

Ryoma shrugged, "Tennis."

He pointed to his bag and Kevin merely glared. However, the glare soon disappeared into a smug grin. Kevin leaned back on the couch, patting his knee, never bringing his eyes away from his boyfriend.

"Really now?" Kevin poked his tongue in his cheek. "Aren't you tired?"

Ryoma shook his head and joined Kevin on the couch.

"No. I already did my homework too… want to play?" he asked, turning towards the blonde and setting his bag on the floor at his feet.

"What kind of question is that?" Kevin exclaimed. Of course he wanted to play. He always wanted to play. But, alas, the poor boy had homework to do.

"I know you want to. Can't you do your homework later?" Ryoma replied.

Kevin frowned and played with the sweatband around Ryoma's wrist.

"No, unfortunately, I am a little bit behind and they're starting to get on my case about that."

Kevin's fingers moved from just playing with the sweatband. His thumb slipped under the band to tickle at Ryoma's wrist. Ryoma pulled his wrist away and glared at Kevin who only grinned back.

"That tickles."

"I know," Kevin said, moving closer and moving his hand to the back of Ryoma's neck.

He pulled the Japanese youth closer to him and their lips met and moved together in a familiar dance. Kevin's hands massaged his partner and ran through the dark silky locks. Ryoma moaned appreciatively and wrapped his arms around Kevin's waist.

Kevin growled, moving his head down to nip at Ryoma's neck with his teeth, and moving their position so that he was slightly on top. Ryoma obliged him, shifting his legs to give Kevin the needed room, and letting his head fall back. His hands slipped under Kevin's shirt and stroked the skin under it and Kevin sucked in a little at the feel of Ryoma's cold hands.

"Dude, why are your hands so cold?" Kevin asked, his breath moving against Ryoma's flushed skin.

"Aren't you supposed to be studying?" Ryoma shot back, now playing with one of Kevin's nipples, hands still under the American's white polo.

"I'd rather do this now."

Ryoma sucked his teeth in annoyance, but his face was more amused. "So much for getting your work done, huh?"

"I thought you were going to play tennis."

Ryoma didn't answer and Kevin grinned against his neck. Without another word, Kevin's hands flew to the waistband of Ryoma's tennis shorts and he began tugging them down. Ryoma's hands flew up to stop him.

"Kevin."

Kevin stopped and moved his head back, meeting Ryoma's stare.

"What?"

"You need to get your work done."

"Oh come on. It won't take but a few minutes," Kevin said, now unbuttoning his own jeans.

Ryoma shook his head, but his hands went forward to help Kevin out of his jeans.

----------------------

After that break from Ryoma's original plans, the Japanese American finally made it to the UCLA campus. It took a while of driving to even find a parking space, and then when he finally did Ryoma realized he had no idea where the tennis facility even was.

Ryoma frowned deeply as he shut the backdoor of Kevin's car and slung his bag over his shoulder. He would just have to ask one of the students that were walking around. There seemed to be no shortage of them, that's for sure. It was well into the afternoon and the sky was already bleeding orange under the threat of night, but it seemed the campus wouldn't be settling down anytime soon.

Ryoma crossed the lawn and stopped in front of one of the large buildings where a bespectacled girl was locking her bicycle on the provided rack.

"Excuse me," he said. "Do you know where the tennis facility is on campus?"

The girl looked bewildered for a moment and then merely shook her head.

"Sorry," she replied. "I didn't even know we had one."

It was Ryoma's turn to look surprised. How could you go to such a top notch university and not know what the amenities were? Ryoma decided not to get into that and merely thanked her anyway and walked off.

After walking around a bit more he finally met a group of guys dressed in sweatpants and UCLA hooded sweatshirts who knew where to go. They led him to the area and he thanked them, and with that Ryoma finally reached his destination.

They had indoor and outdoor courts, but the only way to access the outdoor courts were to go to the front desk. Ryoma hated these restrictive tennis sites. Going to a park was just as easy as going to a private club. His dad always made sure he had a membership to the one near his home, but Ryoma didn't really need it since there was a court down the street.

Ryoma pushed open the doors to the air conditioned tennis facility and made his way to the counter.

"Hello, did you have a court reserved?" the person at the desk said.

"Uhm… actually I was meeting someone at court 3," Ryoma lied.

"Oh…," the person at the desk looked at the roster and frowned. "It seems like there's already someone there."

"That's probably them."

"Well do you have your student ID? I'll just jot down your UIN and then--"

"Yeah," Ryoma said.

He pulled out his wallet and feigned looking for the card, before putting on an annoyed expression.

"Damn it."

"Something wrong, sir?" the clerk asked.

"My ID. It was here when I went to eat today. I know because I couldn't have gotten into the dining hall without it," Ryoma pouted.

"Oh, I'm sorry. We can't let you in without it."

Ryoma's pout deepened. All that and he still couldn't get in? Ryoma rolled his eyes.

"I hope you find it," the clerk said. "I hate it when I lose mine!"

"Thanks," Ryoma said, turning on his heels to leave.

It was when he was turning that he saw a familiar person walking into the facility. It was Gerard!

"Ryoma! What are you doing here?" Gerard asked.

"Oh, hi Gerard."

"Don't, 'Oh, hi" me," Gerard laughed. "Were you meeting someone here?"

The university student looked both ways for someone that could have had Ryoma as a guest but saw no one in the lobby but himself, Ryoma, and the clerk. Ryoma shuffled his feet.

"I was just leaving," Ryoma answered.

"Do I know them?"

"Probably not…"

Ryoma's fingers played with the fringe of his bang, and the Japanese boy became aware of the fact that he might be a bit over due for a haircut. He was one step away from just walking past Gerard before he could figure out that the only reason he showed up was to perhaps infiltrate the facility and catch a glimpse of how good the University's players were. He knew he was that simple, but he didn't want Gerard to know that.

Unfortunately, Gerard caught on well enough.

"I bet you're here to see if you could catch a look at that guy I told you about," Gerard laughed. "Still the same Ryoma. Always looking for a challenge."

"You've got a long way to go…"

"Huh?" Gerard grinned. "Insulting me because you know I'm right!"

"Whatever."

"Don't be like that. Look I'll get you in and we can play a few games. Besides, my friend I told you about is going to be meeting me so I can introduce you two. It'll be perfect."

"Ok."

Gerard went up to the counter.

"Hey, Felix this is my friend Ryoma. He's with me so it's ok if he comes in."

"Oh, ok. Have fun you two. It's court 5," the student clerk beamed.

"Thanks."

Ryoma and Gerard walked to the court 5. They were already dressed in their tennis clothes so all they had to do was stretch and warm up.

"Man, talk about coincidence. How'd you even find this place?" Gerard asked as he began his exercises.

"I asked around."

"I bet Felix was being difficult about letting you in though, right?"

"You bet on everything, don't you?"

"Yeah."

That said they finished their stretches and a few other warm up drills and as they worked in silence, Ryoma's mind began to wander as to the reason why he was here in the first place. He wanted to meet this mysterious tennis ace that Gerard was telling him about. Who would have thought that he'd be so fortunate to actually meet him too. Ryoma figured he might have a chance of beating a few of the college kids who thought they were better than they were.

"So, when's this friend of yours showing up?" Ryoma asked, bouncing a ball on the end of his racket.

"Any moment now. Did you want to play a game before he shows?"

"Who am I to refuse?" Ryoma assented.

He moved to the baseline, still bouncing the ball and upon reaching it, caught it in his hand, bouncing it against the floor.

"Give me all that you've got! I'm not holding back just because you're injured."

"Even with my knee I could beat you blindfolded."

"I've gotten better."

"Hhn," Ryoma grinned. "So have I."

And with that Ryoma threw the ball in the air, ready to his signature serve. However, it was that chance moment that Gerard's friend decided to join them on the court.

Tall. Lean. Wire-frame lenses. Conservative haircut. Tezuka Kunimitsu. Buchou.

Ryoma faltered and the ball hit the net.

-to be continued-

AN: sorry for any ooc. i guess i gotta get my barings on this again. i was about to not update ever again... but the fic was like "areyouseriousyoumeanie" and i was like "ok i can't resist your puppy dog eyes." Thanks for reading and please reviews. Reviews help motivate as well. :p


	6. Chapter 6

AN: thanks for the lovely reviews. i'm glad people remember this story. uhm sorry if any ooc it's hard to imagine a reunion between these two as their personalities are pretty strange.

Chapter 6

The ball hit the net.

"Ok you're not even trying!" Gerard huffed.

However, Ryoma paid the older lad no mind, as his thought zeroed in on the newcomer. There was no doubt about it. It was Tezuka-buchou, but whether this man standing before him was anything like the boy he'd left behind in Tokyo he had yet to see.

Gerard noticed the direction of Ryoma's stare and looked behind him. There was Tezuka who seemed just as transfixed as Ryoma.

Tezuka's mind moved at a rate unprecedented. Ryome right here. Right now. In front of him. Playing with Gerard. The ball hit the net.

The ball hit the net?

Tezuka pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose to hide the beginnings of a smile. Ryoma fumbled a serve because he walked onto the court.

"Hey Kunimitsu! This is the guy I was telling you about, he normally doesn't hit balls into nets," Gerard greeted.

"I didn't know you knew Echizen," Tezuka said finally.

"Buchou!" Ryoma was called out of his reverie and walked across the court to join the two university students.

The first thing Ryoma noticed was that he no longer had to look up to him, physically at least, and that startled him, if not instilled in him a bit of childish pride. He was just as tall as Buchou now, maybe even an inch taller.

"Buchou! It really was you that day."

Tezuka nodded, ducking his head to hide from Ryoma's scrutinizing gaze. It seemed weird to be able to look at the boy face to face after all of these years. To be actually talking to him, and within arms reach of him. Tezuka felt like a fool.

How did he want this to be?

In his mind he wanted Ryoma to be swift about falling into his arms and to confirm that he had indeed missed him as much as Tezuka had missed him.

"You two know each other?" Gerard asked.

Ryoma was the one to answer.

"Buchou and I went to the same junior high school in Japan."

"Wow," Gerard replied. "Small world, huh? To think you guys met again all the way over here."

Gerard nudged Tezuka in the ribs.

"You weren't stalking him were ya, Kunimitsu?"

Tezuka blushed and shot back, "Of course not. It's a coincidence."

"Man! This is crazy! This is going to be the rematch of the century then."

"Buchou beat me back when we were younger," Ryoma said.

"Buchou? Was that your nick name or something?"

"It means Captain in Japanese," Tezuka clarified.

Ryoma seemed to take to rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, grinning at Tezuka like a child. It left the older Japanese uneasy.

"So you guys want to have a rematch now?" Gerard asked.

"What's that?" Tezuka asked, ignoring Gerard and pointing to the black apparatus on Ryoma's. Well, he knew what the thing was but why would Ryoma be wearing that unless--

Ryoma stopped rocking and looked down at the black knee brace, a small frown now adorned his face.

"I got hurt," Ryoma replied simply.

"You're ok? I mean, to play?" Tezuka asked, slipping into Japanese.

Ryoma nodded, "It's fine."

He wouldn't say anything past that and Tezuka was wondering why he didn't find out earlier. He knew that Ryoma was playing a lot of tournaments since leaving Japan so it should have made some of the papers, if even just a small blurb. Even though Tezuka didn't keep up with tennis as much as he used to, he was pretty sure Inui or Fuji would have told him if they knew.

Ryoma noticed Tezuka's silence and saw that he was staring at his knee. Ryoma felt himself become annoyed. Tezuka of all people should know that he could still play. Tezuka had the elbow injury and he still managed to be one of the best players in Japan after all.

Tezuka noticed the annoyed look but merely shook his head, still speaking in Japanese he continued.

"You said 'it's fine' but are you fine?"

Ryoma shrugged in reply before turning to Gerard and saying, "Let's play."

Tezuka watched them begin a game as he walked over to the bench to get out his things and begin stretching.

--------------

Ryoma felt silly, really. There were two things that made him smile in this world: tennis and Kevin. Now there were three… well sort of three. He couldn't help it. When it got through to him that yes that was really Buchou and yes he was going to play tennis again with Buchou, Ryoma felt 12 years old again.

Then Buchou had to bring up that knee, his stupid knee. He was supposedly getting better, but Ryoma didn't feel like it was compete. He felt like everyone was being careful, everyone was being cautious with him, and now Tezuka too would be cautious. He wouldn't play real tennis with him.

What a disappointment.

He just wanted to play real tennis again. He didn't want to be hindered by his knee. Finally a great and worthy opponent, the one he was made to play with, shows up and he is left broken unable to use his full potential. It was downright frustrating.

Ryoma played against Gerard, putting tons of power into each hit, exerting himself in his anger, and when Tezuka said he was finished Ryoma left his spot on the court to take a seat on the bench.

"Everything all right?" Gerard asked.

"Yeah," Ryoma said. "It's just my knee. I think I should stop for now."

Gerard nodded, feeling that the youth knew his own limits and Tezuka didn't say anything either. Ryoma was grateful for it, until he felt the telltale heat of Tezuka's worried gaze.

---------------

Gerard had managed to win the first set but he lost the rest. All in all it was a good game. They packed up and Gerard had a meeting to go to so he had to run along, and so Ryoma was left with Tezuka in the lobby, staring down at his white tennis shoes.

Tezuka regarded Ryoma with a bit of curiosity, wondering about the boy who stood in front of him now. He knew that Ryoma had lied earlier when they were playing tennis. Ryoma's knee was fine enough to play tennis, but something caused the boy to opt to sitting out instead. That was peculiar. He didn't think something like a knee injury would damage someone like Ryoma's self confidence. Tezuka hoped that he was reading the boy wrong.

"Did you want to eat?" Tezuka inquired.

Ryoma shook his head, "No it's late."

"Where did you park?" Tezuka asked.

Ryoma raised his head, and their eyes met easily. Tezuka shifted his weight to his other leg in a nervous gesture. He still couldn't get over the fact that he was the same height as Echizen. That would take some getting used to.

"Somewhere," the younger of the two replied.

That said, Ryoma went for the door and exited into the cool night air. Tezuka followed behind, matching Ryoma's pace.

"I'll walk you."

"Mmm," Ryoma replied in a noncommittal tone.

They walked in silence across campus. The silence that passed between them was both fitting and out of place at once. It seemed logical to think that after so many years there would be some form of exchange. Catching up, as they say. However, it seemed so rightly Tezuka and Ryoma to instead fall into that contemplative silence that always existed between them

Tezuka became lost in his thoughts about the evening. He had some laundry he needed to get done and a little bit of reading for one of his classes he had been putting off. Not to mention he hadn't had a chance to eat since lunch. Tezuka checked his wrist for the time. It was just turning 8 which meant he just missed dinner at the mess hall.

"Ne, Buchou."

Tezuka snapped out of his thought.

"Yes, Echizen."

"Why are you here?"

"What do you mean?" Tezuka's brow furrowed in confusion. The question was a bit out of the blue. "I was meeting Gerard--"

"I mean, why are you in California," Ryoma clarified. "What brought you here?"

Tezuka didn't know how to answer that, but he tried his best. "Well, I think UCLA is a good school."

"For tennis?"

"I didn't really come here for tennis."

"Then what did you come here for?"

Tezuka said, "I wanted to see America."

"Why would you want to see this shitty country?"

"What do you mean?" Tezuka asked, sharply.

Ryoma shook his head and led Tezuka to a nearby bench by the hand. They sat down, bodies turned towards each other, comfortable. They stared straight ahead people watching. Various students exited in and out of buildings and crossed the lawn, unaware of the presence of the two young men catching up on the bench.

Ryoma continued as if their conversation was never interrupted,

"America's fine. I grew up here but I'll tell you once you've seen one shitty country you've seen them all."

"Well--"

"I guess the food's different."

Tezuka shook his head, his eyes smiling at the turn of the conversation. "I had to come see for myself."

"And how do you like it?" Ryoma asked.

"It's not the same at all."

Tezuka thought back to his family and his friends. He missed the comfort of his own room and his own bed. Living in that dorm wasn't nearly as personal. He also missed his grandpa and mother the most. He didn't realize it then, but they spoiled him. Their affection was missed as soon as he arrived in Los Angeles.

Then there was his friends. Having gone from Seishun Jr High to Seishun High he managed to keep a lot of his old friends. It was very strange to be going away and for the first time in years not having Fuji and Oishi there right along side him.

Tezuka wondered if he Ryoma still thought about them sometimes.

"Do you miss Japan?" Tezuka chanced to ask, turning his head and breaking the spell the passersby held upon them.

Ryoma idly played with the strap of his tennis case, adjusting its length. Longer. Shorter. Longer. Shorter. He seemed to be thinking, wondering what the right words would be to say. Biding his time. Tezuka regretted asking.

"I guess for me winning the nationals will always be a precious memory," Ryoma finally replied. "I will always like to think of the team in that light."

That didn't really answer his question, but Tezuka didn't bother prying.

"I agree. That was a special moment for all of us."

They regarded each other for a moment, both living out their memories of the championship game and eventually their train of thought both landing on the subject of them, and whatever else that implied. They couldn't deny that something had ignited between them, Tezuka especially. Tezuka was moved by it and propelled by its gravity.

"Do you miss it?" this time it was Ryoma's turn to ask.

"Japan?" Tezuka asked, not really sure what Ryoma could mean between talking about their old team, the championship and the lingering memories of what transpired between them as adolescents.

Ryoma failed to clear it up, and his eyes were gleaming and gold, looking for an answer. Tezuka scanned that face and lingered upon the soft pout of Ryoma's lips. He wondered if the kisses they'd create would be just as desperate as before, or if there'd be a lingering sweetness due to absence.

Ryoma blinked and still no reply, just expectation, and it was making Tezuka sick. He didn't want to talk anymore. His stomach was flipping and his fingers ached to touch Echizen's. This whole meeting, this entire interrogation, reeked of repressed feelings, of words never spoken.

What did Tezuka feel? Did he miss it? He didn't miss this. He didn't remember the awkwardness of nervous butterflies in the stomach or a jaw sore from clinching tight, biting back words that might scare one off.

"It was a yes or no question," Ryoma said.

"You didn't answer yours that way," Tezuka retorted.

"You're right."

Ryoma stretched and stood up, and Tezuka understood that as a sign that Ryoma was just about ready to leave. Tezuka didn't want to him to leave. He finally had him alone again, and he wasn't going to let that go. Tezuka reached out and touched the object of his desire's hand, and Ryoma flinched, drawing away.

-to be continued-

AN: thanks for reading. please review and tell me if this chapter devestated their personalities. i know tezuka seem deperate but he was desperate in the other chapters too lol. as for kevin and ryoma well you'll see what happens. and also ryoma knee. we'll see about ryoma's knee.

please review crit and flames both welcome.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: thanks everyone for the kinds reviews! they are wonderful

Chapter 7

When Ryoma got up to finally leave it was like everything he ever worked towards was running away before his very eyes. He had worked for this moment when he could finally meet Ryoma again and finally say the words he wanted to say and hold him again in his arms. He didn't want to let him go. He was afraid that this was the last chance he had, so with those frantic thoughts he reached out for Ryoma's hand, only to have him flinch and pull away, as if he had been stung.

"Excuse me," Ryoma said in apology, casting his eyes to the ground as if the contact was accidental.

Tezuka shook his head, clinching his fists against his lap. They had grown sweaty in his nervousness.

"Echizen," Tezuka said, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat.

This time the younger Japanese didn't pull away as Tezuka's hot hands encircled his. Tezuka's heart, which hitherto must have stopped beating, began moving rapidly within its cavern.

"Maybe we should exchange numbers," Ryoma said, finally. "That way you'll have someone you know in the city… well other than your school mates."

"Yes," Tezuka said.

He let go of Ryoma's hand, allowing him to reach for his phone. Tezuka gave Ryoma his number and then Ryoma gave Tezuka his.

"I guess there's a lot of things you have left to talk to me about Japan," Ryoma said. "Maybe another day."

"And we can play too," Tezuka noted.

Ryoma nodded, "Maybe."

"Maybe?"

Ryoma nodded again, and Tezuka knew there was no use arguing.

"Bye, Buchou."

"You can call me Kunimitsu now," Tezuka said. "Everyone else in this country does."

Ryoma made a grimace that looked so much like that of a child's when being forced to eat natto.

"No way!" Ryoma spat. "That's just too weird. Buchou is buchou and always buchou."

Tezuka could only smile.

------------------------------------------------

"Tadaima!" Ryoma called.

"I'm in here," Kevin said. He was still in the living room.

Ryoma slung his bag onto the recliner and then sat down on the sofa beside his boyfriend.

"How was tennis?" Kevin asked.

Ryoma gave an uncommitted shrug.

"You don't stink at all. Must have been one sorry match," Kevin noted. He closed his book and scooted closer to his boyfriend.

"My knee started acting up so I kind of just watched," Ryoma stated.

"That's weird."

"I'm gonna go take a bath."

Ryoma stood and headed for the stairs, leaving Kevin to his books.

Ryoma got to his bedroom and undressed quickly and then retreated to the bathroom for his much needed bath. Ryoma always did a lot of his thinking in the bath. Even that time when Tezuka had first beat him all those years ago he had found refuge in the bath.

Slinking into the warm water Ryoma found his muscles start to relax as his mind began its attempt to piece together the events of the day.

He tried his best not to show it, but he found being around Tezuka too awkward for his own liking. He hoped that Tezuka didn't realize that he was constantly torn between crying miserably and/or throwing himself at the older man.

Both scenarios would not have been pretty. Crying would have been awkward for everyone and the second one would have surely been Gerard.

It was funny. He hadn't seen Tezuka Buchou in years, but all of the old feelings were rushing back to him in such a fury. He didn't want to admit either side of them. He just wanted to keep it simple. He wanted it to just be that he was merely happy to see his good old friend. However he couldn't deny his strong emotions.

Ryoma felt pitiful. He had been feeling pitiful ever since his knee injury, but seeing his Buchou again just amplified it. To think he sees Tezuka again and to not even be able to play a good game of tennis with him at his very top potential. He would settle for nothing less than perfection for his Buchou. Buchou deserved that much, and it pained him to not be able to give it. It pained him to even play Kevin in his sub par state, but the feeling was amplified by a thousand fold when Tezuka saw him hit that ball into the net.

Ryoma felt like dirt just thinking about it.

Then there were the desires. The raw electric feelings coursing through his body as he watched Tezuka's hard, lean frame twist and turn, chasing after the ball… it was just unbearable. He found himself torn between moping, felling sorry over his knee, and just wanting to lick the sweat off of the flesh of Tezuka's neck and even the light expanse that peeked up under his shirt when he served.

Delicious.

And then he would think about Kevin and the guilt would settle in, but obviously not hard enough. Because even throughout their after practice talk on the bench, Ryoma couldn't stop looking at Tezuka's lips and wanting to indulge in them. He wanted to see if Tezuka gained any experience since last time. Ryoma sure did.

Ryoma sighed.

He was happy to see Tezuka. He really absolutely truly was. But there was those other feelings that just had to mar the beauty of their reunion.

-----------------------------------------

It was a short walk from the tennis facility to Tezuka's dorm, but even then it was unbearable. The emotions coursing through the normally calm and reasonable young man were so foreign and abstract he didn't know how to put labels onto them. All he knew was that he couldn't stop trembling.

With unsteady hands he finally entered into his dorm room. He managed to pour himself a glass of tea before heading to his desktop computer. He waited for it to boot up, and paced the carpet, happy that he occupied a single. He would hate to have to explain his erratic behavior to a room mate when he could barely make heads or tales of it himself.

He had seen Ryoma again. He really had. And he touched him, and held his hand again, even if briefly. Tezuka felt himself nearly bursting.

With the computer finally up he turned on Skype. It was extremely early in the morning Japan time but it was an emergency. He had to talk to Fuji and it couldn't wait another minute.

-to be continued-

thanks for reading. please read and review :)


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Fuji might be OOC but maybe if you had to deal with a memory obsessed Tezuka all these years you'd be OOC too... that's my story and i'm sticking to it. also last chapter i said it was extremely early in japan but i was wrong. i don't live in the timezone of this story so i got confused lol. sorry

Chapter 8

"Hello."

"Fuji-san, it's me."

"I know who it is. Who else call my phone with Skype but you. What do I owe this call in the middle of the day?"

Tezuka paused.

"Well?" Fuji pressed.

"Are you busy?"

"If I am you're not making this any faster."

Tezuka sighed.

"I'm on my way to the studio. Make it fast I only have until 2," Fuji said.

It was nearing 2 o clock in Tokyo the following day, so while Tezuka was winding down, Fuji was in the middle of his routine. Tezuka had to be quick. He knew how busy Fuji's days were, but the tensai was the only person he could think to call about this topic.

"I saw, Echizen," Tezuka said.

"Really?" Fuji asked, not seeming surprised at all. "I see."

"Aren't you surprised at all?" Tezuka asked, a bit taken aback by Fuji's nonchalance.

"Is that all you called about?" Fuji asked.

"W,well--" Tezuka began.

"How's his knee?"

"You knew about his knee!?" Tezuka all but yelled.

"Well, yeah," Fuji replied, matter-of-factly. "Didn't you?"

"Wait-- but if you knew, why didn't you tell me?" Tezuka asked.

There was no answer on the other line and Tezuka waited for the answer he knew in his heart was sure to come, but never did.

"Was this why you called?" Fuji asked, again.

"Yes," Tezuka said.

Fuji sighed, and Tezuka could hear him adjusting his phone on his ear and the loudness of the wind blowing. He figured Fuji was now outside.

"You're really the same as always aren't you? At this rate you'll never have what you really want."

"What do you mean?" Tezuka asked. "I barely said anything yet--"

"Oh I'm pretty sure I know what happened. A lot of small talk, mutual silence, and awkward stolen glances-"

"But--"

"If you want anything to happen you have to be a more forward. I'm busy now so I'm going to leave you at that. Don't call to tell me something I could already guess myself. Night, Tezuka."

Fuji didn't give Tezuka time to say a word in reply before he hung up.

* * *

After talking to Fuji about his run in with Echizen, Tezuka soaked for about an hour in the hot bath. As he let the steam from the bath take away all of his tension he reflected on the conversation he just had. Of course, Fuji had teased him before about how he stalked Echizen to America, but Fuji also advised him not to let this opportunity slip from his grasp.

He couldn't blame Fuji for cutting their conversation short this evening. Tezuka knew his friend was right. He didn't come to America to have Echizen walk out o his life once again. No, instead Tezuka knew this time he must claim what it is he wanted, or at least put in the effort. He could only hope the other boy would reciprocate his feelings. It was a long time, he must admit, but he wanted it to work.

Tezuka was nearly a prune when he came out of the bathroom. He let the water drain after wrapping the fluffy towel around his waist and then went out to see to dinner. With all that had happened earlier he almost forgot that he had skipped dinner that evening. He went into his kitchen and set a kettle on the stove to brew some tea, before getting a can of tuna out of the cupboard. It was late so he would settle for something simple like tuna and the left over rice in the refrigerator. He still had that quiz in storm water management to study for as well.

* * *

The morning came quickly and since Storm Water Management & Construction was Tezuka's only class that morning he was free for the rest of the day. Like Gerard said, the quiz was extremely easy, and Tezuka probably would have aced it without studying but the Japanese youth didn't like to get careless about his studies.

After turning in the sheet of paper to the teaching assistant, Tezuka went to the student center to get a drink at star bucks. He ordered his customary beverage and then sat at a table, pulling out his copy of the day's paper. He had made it through the first part of the international news section before boredom began to settle in.

He knew that Gerard would be in class all day, since it was the other lad's long day. He could call one of the other guys they sometimes played tennis with, but he never took to them as well as he had taken to Gerard. He really didn't want to spend the day surfing the internet or working on that term paper he still had yet to write the Abstract for. It was what he should do, he knew, but he was restless.

Restless about what? It was obvious to even him. He was restless after his encounter with Ryoma and he found himself wanting more.

Quickly, Tezuka checked his watch and noted that it was just after eleven. Any normal school aged boy would be in class right now. Ryoma too probably. Tezuka lazily eyed his paper again, but only managed to read a few words before the boredom settled over him again. He couldn't help it. He wanted to know how Echizen was doing, and if maybe he was available that afternoon.

Fuji did say he had to be aggressive if he wanted to date Echizen.

* * *

Peanut butter was delicious and all, but it wasn't Kevin's idea of a perfect lunch. He'd much prefer a black forest ham and swiss sandwich on toasted white bread with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Still, after coming in from a very tiring training session he had to make due with what was in the kitchen. He made a mental note that he or Ryoma had to go to the grocery store soon or else they'd starve to death.

Hurriedly he pulled the peanut butter out of the cupboard and took the wheat bread out of the breadbox and a knife from the drawer. Humming a tune he wasn't quite sure where he heard it from, he began fixing himself two sandwiches. After that was finished he set it on the kitchen table beside and apple and his already poured glass of milk.

He sat down and was just about to chow down like the hungry teen he was, when he heard a tinkling sound from the living room. Kevin took a huge bit of his sandwich as he stood and went towards the tone.

Normally, he wouldn't be concerned about the phone while eating, but it was Ryoma's phone and Ryoma was supposed to still be at school. If Ryoma's phone was still here that meant he left it and that could possibly be him calling to see whether he had lost it.

Upon entering the living room, he saw the small purple phone sitting atop the television set, vibrating and playing the Rocky theme song. He had to roll his eyes at that. It was dorky, but kind of sweet. He picked it up and without looking at the name answered.

"Hello, this is Ryoma speaking," he said with a grin, thinking that it had to be Ryoma on the other line trying to locate his phone.

He was met with a surprise. The speaker on the other line was decidedly not Ryoma.

"Aa, Echizen," the deep voice drawled in a distinctly Japanese accent. "Am I bothering you?"

He was speaking Japanese! Ryoma didn't have many Japanese friends in general, and it surely wasn't Nanjiroh. Kevin had to take the phone from his ear and see who exactly the speaker even was. He looked at the screen and the name "Buchou" met his eyes. Kevin frowned but returned to the speaker.

"Sorry, Tezuka-san," Kevin replied in Japanese as well. "This isn't Ryoma-kun. He's at school. He must have left his phone home this morning."

"Oh, I'm sorry then. I'll try back latter."

"No, it's fine. I'll tell him you called."

"Thank you," Tezuka said. "Good bye."

Kevin hung up and put the phone back down on the television set. Tezuka was calling Ryoma on his cell phone. What for? And why did Ryoma not tell him that he was talking to his old captain? Last he heard, his boyfriend had only seen Tezuka in passing, not engage in conversation long enough to exchange phone numbers.

Marching back to the kitchen, Kevin slumped into his seat and stuffed his sandwich into his mouth. He would get to the bottom of this, just as soon as Ryoma got home.

-to be continued-

AN: i'm guessing since Ryoma's voice deepend and what not Tezuka at first didn't realize it was Kevin on the phone. anyway thanks for reading. please review i appreciaye it!


	9. Chapter 9

AN: so I had half this chapter on my hard drive the entire time and just plum forgot about it. oops

Chapter 9

"Tadaima!" Ryoma called as he threw open the house door.

He was met with absolute quiet and wondered where Kevin could be. The television was on but it didn't seem like anyone was in the house. Ryoma shrugged his back pack and tennis bag from his shoulders, putting them down on the atrium floor and kicked off his shoes before entering the living room.

"Kevin?" he called.

Still no answer.

"He must be upstairs," Ryoma reasoned, crossing the room and moving to sit down.

That was when he noticed his cell phone sitting on the coffee table. He stopped in his motion to sit down, and instead leaned forward to pick up the phone, before falling back into the couch cushions.

'So here it was all along,' Ryoma thought as he went to check for any missed calls. There were none which came as no surprise. Kevin was practically the only one who called him other than his mother and stupid old man.

It was then he heard the sound of Kevin's steps coming down the stairs.

"Hey, Kevin," Ryoma said, moving to set the phone back on the coffee.

"You left your phone. What if I needed to call you?" Kevin asked, sitting beside him.

"It's ok," Ryoma replied. "Apparently you didn't so it all worked out."

Kevin let out a slight chuckle at that and then grabbed Ryoma by the chin and turned his head his way, "You did get a call though."

"It said I didn't miss any," Ryoma said, not moving out of Kevin's grasp and meeting Kevin's blue eyes with his golden ones.

Kevin shook his head, "No. I picked up the phone."

"I bet it was my stupid old man," Ryoma grimaced. "What did he say."

"No…" Kevin said. "It wasn't him either. Guess again."

"This a guessing game, huh?"

"Humor me."

Ryoma rolled his eyes, "Che, fine. It was Cory."

"Why would Cory call you?" Kevin asked. "He saw you at school, didn't he? Come on be more creative."

"Uhm, Gerard?"

"Nope."

"Just tell me," Ryoma snapped, finally swatting Kevin's hand away from his face. He leaned forward to retrieve the remote control from the coffee table and began flipping through channels, apparently losing interest in the conversation.

"Fine, it was Tezuka-san."

"Buchou?" Ryoma asked, nearly fumbling the remote.

"What's with the over the top reaction?" Kevin smirked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ryoma said, resuming with his channel surfing.

"Oh? Aren't you going to call him back?"

"Maybe later."

There was a lingering silence between them. The television was blaring in the background and Ryoma was resolute in facing forward but Kevin was watching him, studying his face for any signs of discomfort or a secret. Ryoma finally stopped on ESPN 2 and put the remote down on the couch between himself and Kevin.

"I'm thirsty. You want a drink?"

Ryoma bounced up and went across the living room and into the kitchen.

"Orange juice is fine," shouted Kevin.

"Ok."

Kevin heard the sounds of Ryoma getting two glasses out of the cupboard and then him opening the refrigerator and getting the juice.

"We need to go grocery shopping. It's practically empty in here," Ryoma commented.

"Yeah I know," Kevin replied with a shout.

Ryoma came back in with two glasses in his hand. He handed one to Kevin, which the blond took, and then returned to his seat.

"Ryoma-- How did Tezuka know your number?" Kevin asked.

Ryoma sighed, "Why are you making a big deal out of this?"

"I'm not making a big deal out of this."

"Really? That's how I see it."

"No. First of all, I merely asked a simple question. All you had to do was answer it, instead you got all defensive," Kevin said. "Besides, I remember you telling me some time ago that you merely saw Tezuka in passing. How did seeing Tezuka in passing suddenly become him calling you on your cellphone? As I recall, you said you two didn't even exchange any words."

"Remember I said Gerard had someone to introduce me to? Well it just so happened it was Buchou," Ryoma said casually.

Kevin observed Ryoma before speaking. The Japanese youth's eyes were once again trained to the TV and he was taking a long gulp of his drink.

"When were you going to tell me it was Tezuka?"

Ryoma removed the glass from his lips and gave Kevin an incredulous stare.

"I mean it, Ryoma," went on the blond. "I would think it'd be fairly normal for you to have come home and tell your boyfriend, which is me, 'Geuss what! That guy Gerard wanted me to meet was Tezuka the entire time. Isn't that funny?' But you didn't. You hid that from me."

"I didn't think it was important."

"It is important," Kevin said, turning his whole body now.

"How?"

He hated being the one to yell like this when Ryoma wasn't the least bit flustered. However, Kevin was always a bit hot headed and he just couldn't help but feel touchy about the subject, especially with Tezuka involved. Kevin knew about the feeling Ryoma had for his captain back when he was in Japan and he just wanted to make sure all of those were gone. He couldn't help but wonder if Ryoma were still harboring strong feelings for Tezuka and the other for him. He was insecure, but he didn't want to admit that.

"N,never mind," Kevin said, looking down into his glass of orange juice.

Ryoma frowned and crossed his arms, "Fine. I'm going to take a bath."

He then stood and went up stairs leaving Kevin alone in the living room, quietly seething. That wasn't how he wanted that conversation to go. He wanted to have Ryoma squirm and beg for forgiveness but instead it seemed like Kevin was the only one with any sort of feeling. Ryoma had the upper hand the entire time. That wasn't fair!

Kevin growled and stood abruptly, slamming his cup onto the table. He went up the stairs and opened the bedroom door to see Ryoma pulling the shirt over his head.

"Geez, would it kill you to knock?" Ryoma asked, unbuttoning his pants.

"It's not like I haven't seen it," was Kevin's retort. "Look Ryoma, about what I was talking about downstairs."

"I thought we already finished talking."

"You're right we did but I didn't say everything I wanted to say."

"Ok."

"Ryoma I'm not comfortable with you seeing Tezuka."

"Ok."

"So… I'd like you to not see him anymore-- even for tennis."

"What's wrong with me seeing Buchou?"

Kevin leaned against the door frame, "Ryoma stop playing stupid. We both know you had feelings for Tezuka."

"Kevin that was years ago. I was 12 years old."

"Ok, well obviously something is going on because you damn sure don't want to talk about it. If nothing is going on why is it a problem that I ask a simple thing from my boyfriend. Just don't see Tezuka anymore, ok. It's not that I don't trust you but I'm not comfortable, ok."

"Hmph," Ryoma kicked his boxers off his feet and grabbed his towel, wrapping it around his waist. "Whatever."

"So you agree?" Kevin asked, running his fingers through his hair.

"I don't care."

"Are you mad?" Kevin asked.

Ryoma walked towards the door where Kevin was standing, "No. I understand, ok."

Kevin leaned forward and kissed Ryoma's cheek, "Thanks, babe."

"Don't call me that," Ryoma growled.

The Japanese youth then stalked off into the bathroom and locked the door. Even though he didn't show it he felt extremely conflicted from the conversation he just had with Kevin. Why was Kevin making such a big deal out of him seeing Tezuka. Sure, when he was 12 he liked the older male and they did share some very clumsy kisses, but that was over now… right?

Ryoma subconsciously found himself holding his hand, the very hand Tezuka had held the other night. How exactly did Ryoma feel? He couldn't help but admit that just that simple touch almost made him lose control. So maybe Kevin was a little right for being a bit insecure, though it did make Ryoma mad. Why couldn't Kevin just trust him? If he was going to cheat with Tezuka he would have already done it-- that is if Tezuka was willing.

Ryoma shook the thought from his head. He didn't know what he was thinking last night. He was with Kevin so his feelings for Tezuka, whatever they were, were irrelevant. He would just have to explain to Tezuka that they could no longer see each other. Or maybe just explain that it was just as friends. Yeah, Kevin shouldn't have a problem with them being just friends, right?

Satisfied with that, Ryoma turned the faucet to begin his shower.

To be continued…

AN: thanks for reading please review!


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